In March, Barbara Hinebaugh was bestowed with the Order of the Delta Gamma Rose award by members of Delta Gamma. She has been a member since 1939 after being initiated into the Beta Zeta Chapter at Denison University.
The Village of Glenbrook resident, now 100, is the oldest member of Delta Gamma and is the 107th person to receive the award in the fraternity’s history.
She also is a member of an alumni group for Delta Gamma in The Villages.
Delta Gamma Fraternity has more than 250,000 members that include 151 collegiate chapters and more than 200 alumnae groups.
It was founded in 1873 in Oxford, Mississippi by Anna Boyd Ellington, Mary Comfort Leonard and Eva Web Dobb.
The occasion was celebrated at a Delta Gamma member’s home in the Village of Bridgeport at Lake Sumter. About 40 members of the alumni group and friends and family of Hinehough joined her along.
The organization’s national council has already presented the award to her virtually in December last year.
“We are just thrilled for her,” said June Shively, leader of the Delta Gamma alumni group in The Villages. “She is very renowned in everything she has done.”
The Order of the Delta Gamma Rose award is the highest award given to those alumnae who have made distinguished contributions to society, she added.
Hinebaugh has been actively involved at the forefront of many community service initiatives especially for homeless children.
She was a civilian volunteer for the Civil Air Patrol in 1942 and 1943 during World War II, searching for U-boats along the shores of Lake Erie in a single-engine, single-place plane. Later, she was awarded the Civil Air Patrol Congressional Gold Medal for her exceptional service.
She was also honored with the National Society Daughters of the American Revolutions Medal of Honor for Americanism from the John Bartram Chapter of The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in The Villages.
In 1960, she was part of the community campaign to help build what is now known as UF Health Leesburg Hospital. She also volunteered at the United Service Organizations, where she sold war bonds and war stamps.
Hinebaugh also had an extensive career with New York Life Insurance Company.
“I’m really astounded because it’s very special, and I don’t really feel that special” Hinebaugh said, laughing. “But I’ve been recognized for things that I did because I wanted to do them – I didn’t do them to be recognized. I just worked on projects that I was really interested in.”
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun